So: how did you spend your time at college? Studying? Blackout shitfaced? Or constructing a transporter that sends you directly to the underworld? Accept my apologies if that last suggestion seems absurd; we all know it probably isn’t much less plausible than the first.
The students in this flick aren’t satisfied with mere hard partying though, and after experimenting with their newly invented teleportation device, they accidentally summon gigantic fiery rifts into a bizarre dimension which manage to capture their friends, leaving the unfortunate classmates fighting to survive against nightmarish monsters in a twisted labyrinth which defies space and time.
A normal sci-fi at least attempts an introduction. Or a believable plot. Here the formalities are strictly abandoned and it leaps right into the fray, living for the “woah” moments dotted around. These are certainly effective and most are refreshingly unexpected, yet such a bare minimum of story is a real limitation.
This leaves the visuals alone to deliver, and they’re not that bad, mostly. The landscapes and creatures perform from suitably deranged to uninspired and dull. Some are interesting, for instance the ax-wielding maniac with several faces, or the horrible parasite things; yet other areas of the film are left disappointingly featureless, including the surprisingly plain and empty sets, and the unconvincing makeup.
And this soundtrack! While the quality and range of sound is okay, its coordination and direction is so interfering. Do you really need to repeat thunderous strings and Battery 3 kicks every 5-10 minutes? The occasional aspect of silence would have also been very welcome in the interest of building atmosphere and suspense.
Overall this is a straight up braindead teen slasher with a few punches up its sleeve but nothing particularly memorable and couldn’t be more average if it tried. The cardboard script doesn’t exactly bring the best out of the inane acting, and the lack of serious gore is another minus. Still, a doable and generally edible example of TV trash.
4/10
Possession Media 